More Than 500 Dead In Major Earthquake In Peru

The quake occurred at virtually 6:41pm Kansas City time Wednesday night- now rated an 8.0 quake that lasted at least 2 minutes- centered less than 100 miles south-southeast of Peru's capitol- Lima.

The death toll continues to rise with each news report- this the latest from the AP at this filing says 510 are dead with more than 1500 injured.

Hard hit were the Peruvian cities of Ica- of 120000 people and the port of Pisco. At least 200 were killed when a church collapsed on them during a service in Pisco. At another church in Ica- 17 died.

Many structures in both cities have collapsed into piles of debris- blocking streets. Roadways to the 2 cities had been severely damaged. Half of a hospital collapsed in a small town near Pisco.

There have been two major aftershocks today- a 6.7 and a 6.0- further hampering already-difficult rescue efforts.

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